Ice Cold Love
by AnimeGoddess1599
Summary: Challenge: Tsumetai's marriage to King Cold was purely political. She cares not for her husband, nor Frieza and Cooler. However, she is interested in the ones who killed her 'family' as potential mates… Rating may change.
1. Prologue

Ice-Cold Love

Me: Don't kill e for this, but I've got a new story challenge. This is dedicated to Lawrence Helmbain for providing me with such an interesting story challenge.

Prompt: Tsumetai's marriage to King Cold was purely political. She cares not for her husband, nor Frieza and Cooler. However, she is interested in the ones who killed her 'family' as potential mates…

Pairing: Gohan/TsumetaiOC (I don't want to hear any flames about this. I have planned to work this out, and there are numerous other pairings with an aged character with a younger character out there, so I don't want to hear it!)

Time Frame: The Cell Games (The Cell Games Saga in itself can be divided into parts, and in my opinion, part one was Goku alive and part two was when Goku died. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but for purposes of this story, that's how it'll be.)

Me: While I'm aware that Gohan was only about 10 or 11 during the Cell Games, there will be a timeskip to when he's 16 or 17; I might even make it 18, but I'll work that out along the way. Anyways, again, thank you Lawrence Helmbain. This story might end up being anywhere length-wise depending on where I plan to send this, but let's start.

Disclaimer: I can't claim the idea nor any characters, however I can claim a box set of DVD's, some T-Shirts, and the plot.

* * *

Prologue

She wasn't like typical wives.

She didn't dot on her husband and family, asking constantly whether they were alright, or if they wanted something, did not describe her. She was utterly _disgusted _by the fact that some women were actually like that, frequently fawning over their husbands and waiting on them hand and foot. They were men; they claimed to be breadwinners, warriors, and some even had the gall to say they were better than women.

If they were so better, why did they depend of their wives like a newborn depends on its mother?

Why did they feel the _need _to be constantly fawned by their wives? Why did they _need_ their wives to cook for them and clean for them? Why did they _need _their wives to look pretty and sophisticated in front of others when they themselves went around looking like slobs acting like it was okay?

_That _was not who she was.

_She _was the breadwinner. _She_ was the warrior. _She_ was stronger, faster, smarter, aggressive.

Better.

_She_ was no damsel in distress. _She_ was a damsel that kicked ass and took names.

* * *

Her '_family' _was pathetic; someone of her caliber shouldn't have been with people so pitiful, so weak. She was stronger than all three of those men combined. Her husband, so laid-back and more concerned with his work then he was with anything else. Once he proved no one was as strong as he was, he stopped right there and carried on with his egotistical ways. Her oldest son, the same way: once he realized he was one of the most powerful men in the universe, he stated behind the front lines and grew cocky, which led to his demise. And her youngest…she wasn't even about to go into the disappointment Frieza cause. She could have had anyone she wanted instead of the pathetic wimps she was stuck with, however, she was locked into a loveless, unsatisfying marriage. But she stuck with it, waiting for the day when they became so overconfident that they got themselves killed.

And she wasn't disappointed.

When the news came in about her youngest son's death, people thought she would shed tears.

They thought she would go numb in horror, shock, and disbelief before she went into a crying fit, or a fit of rage. They thought she would be in despair because her own child was dead. They thought she would go on a mad hunt for whoever committed the act of killing her son, even if result may or may not have been satisfactory.

She didn't.

When the news came in about her husband's death, everyone expected her to cry.

They expected her to throw herself on her knees and wail. They thought she would plead for it to be some cruel joke, to threaten the messenger with harsh consequences for playing such a sick joke. They expected her to go into a fit of despair-induced rage, cursing the people who committed this act and asking any deity out there why they had to take him of all people. They expected her to cry out and scream that she wouldn't find another like him and then say she would refuse to marry every again after this.

She didn't.

When news came about her oldest son's death, the people weren't even sure what she was going to do.

They thought there would be tears, and screaming. They thought she'd be in such rage because her whole family was dead. They thought she'd go completely numb in horror and shock, acting like everything was fine until the harsh truth finally hit her and she could do no more and break. They thought she'd break and become a shell of a woman. However, she didn't neither. They expected her to lose all hope in living, because everything she lived for was gone.

Bu they were wrong.

She didn't react because she didn't care.

Back when she came of age for marriage, and unexpected disruption came in the form of King Cold. He had landed on her planet and gathered everyone on the planet together and blatantly stated that the planet was officially under control of the recently formed Planet Trade Organization and that they had to immediately surrender or else he'd exterminate them all. Some people were shocked, some were afraid, and some were numb in horror thinking that King Cold would carry through with his threat. However, these doubts were quickly diminished. Their Elder didn't believe a word he said and assured the people nothing would happen. Taking the wise man's word for it, they laughed it off and the people were about to disperse, thinking the man to be mad, or maybe had escaped from a mental hospital. King Cold did not like what the Elder said and decided to make an example of him.

King Cold had simply killed him, along with the other members of the council.

After that, he declared that the same fate would befall them unless they surrendered. But, Tsumetai's father,, a politician on the planet, worked out a deal; they would willingly become a planet under his rule and provide him with income and taxes without protest, if he promised to let no harm befall the planet in exchange. Cold agreed, but on one condition: the fairest woman on the planet was to become his wife.

And Tsumetai's father volunteered her.

There was horror, unspeakable horror. How could her father give away his only daughter to a tyrant that they only knew for not even half an hour and expect her to willingly go along with it?! Then rage, unbridled rage. Were her people really going to give her away to save themselves? Did they not consider what the unknown King would do to her once they were behind closed doors? He could have planned to rape her for all she knew! And finally, there was rebellion. Pure. Unadulterated. Rebellion. She yelled, and screamed and threw a tantrum like a child who was denied a treat. She fought against her people's decisions and demanded they pick another bride. But as it was, Tsumetai was the most beautiful woman of all the ones on the planet, and suited King Cold's needs perfectly: voluptuous body, beautiful face and narrow eyes, and a fiery personality. She was indeed the perfect woman in King Cold's eyes, and the latter expressed his delight in having her as his wife. Tsumetai tried to fight, but then King Cold annihilated a group of merchants when she expressed her disdain. She then knew the man was serious. Her rage and adrenaline died down and there wasn't anything left for her to do. And finally came defeat. Utter defeat. She had to concede. Too many of her people could die because she was being stubborn and she couldn't allow that to happen. She had to accept the smug King's proposal and became his wife, though she did it grudgingly.

What was she supposed to do? Deny a man that could wipe out her entire race or marry him and be trapped in a loveless marriage (at this point, Tsumetai considered fighting him, but her people could be caught in the crossfire and she couldn't afford have any innocent person get harmed if she made a simple mistake like letting her guard down for a moment)? She went through the wedding process without uttering a word, though there was some protest when the wedding night came. She would rather have King Cold kill her in _their _(and she said that with contempt too) bedroom than allow him to touch her in that way. However, Cold had subtly pointed out that he could kill her and her race if she didn't comply. Though Tsumetai knew she could take him on in a fight, she wouldn't have been able to stop him from sending anyone to her planet and killing them all.

Although she hated herself and the man who made her, Tsumetai laid back, spread her legs, and prayed it would be over quickly.

She later found out that that dreadful night was the start of the end of her life as she once knew it.

Cold had impregnated her that night, a fact that angered Tsumetai to no end. She didn't _want _to have to carry around Cold's child, nor did she want any part in raising it. She was going to abort the disgusting thing before Cold ever found out what had happened, but the medic who was checking over her immediately sent word to Cold, who in turn knew that Tsumetai would do anything to abort it, and he therefore kept her under constant guard, making sure that no matter what, she was always watched constantly during the duration of her pregnancy so that she couldn't do anything rash like getting rid of her baby. She tried to cope with it by imagining that the baby would have no trace of Cold's looks or personality, and be exactly like her.

Her hopes were dashed at the birth.

When Cooler, as Cold wanted to name him, was born, Tsumetai held contempt for him. He was the splitting image of Cold. And as he grew, his personality held some of Tsumetai's in it, but was otherwise all Cold. He depended little on his mother, wanting to learn how to rule and conquer at a young age. He often spoke a bit badly about his mother, and when Tsumetai punished him, he often considered that he didn't have a mother, and those were times when Tsumetai considered that she didn't even have a son. Cold was displeased with her and forced interaction with Cooler on her, but they could never get along as mother and son could. And compared to her, his power level at birth and as he matured was laughable.

Another unexpected surprise came in the form of Frieza. After a particularly bad deal and a lack of troops in his empire, Cold was frustrated beyond belief, and the only way he could deal with it was by releasing it in another matter. Tsumetai refused, and another threat of her home came up, but Tsumetai still fought. She to this day would never understand how he overpowered her, but the resulting aftermath could be described as a rape. Tsumetai was embarrassed, humiliated, and angry. She refused to leave her room, nor speak to anyone, going into a stasis of sorts to cope with what had happened. But days after her lockdown, she felt sick to her stomach, getting worse each day until she finally collapsed and Cold broke into the room and had a team of medics look over her. She found she was pregnant again, a fact that angered her and delighted Cold. Once again, she was placed under lockdown and unable to go anywhere or do anything without someone near her, and she couldn't keep in contact with her family about the events that had happened thus far. She was truly alone.

Frieza's birth gave her a bit of hope. Although his personality would prove to be like his father's, he looked more like Tsumetai then he did Cold. And he adored his mother, though Tsumetai was a bit reluctant to show too much affection to a child she barely wanted in the first place. But she later learned that Frieza adored her because he adored her power, wanting to be strong like her. He wanted to rule the empire as the most powerful being in the universe, and wanting to one-up his older brother. Their sibling rivalry would eventually tear them apart, but Tsumetai wasn't going to reconcile them. It was a bit of a good thing to know she wouldn't have to deal with those two anymore; all she had to deal with was Cold.

Years went by and things didn't change. Tsumetai didn't fall in love with Cold and barely tolerated him. She didn't enjoy being in the same room as him, nor did she like the overly affection gestures Cold sometimes flaunted in front of other people. But she smiled and took it for her people's sake. She was still unable to do anything to help them, but just knowing Cold kept up his side of the deal was enough for her.

Cooler's death made her happy. The spoiled little brat that hated her and that she hated was gone, and she wouldn't have to deal with him again. The Planet-Trade Organization also mourned the loss of a good potential heir, and Cold was angered. He was going to hunt down whoever committed the crime, but he apparently had other pressing matters that took precedents, the arrogant bastard. How dare he make her go through raising that abomination just to brush off the issue as he did? It made no sense to her.

She couldn't have been anymore delighted when news of Frieza's demise at the hands of a Saiyan reached the empire. Cold was furious, but she was impassive about it, which turned some of Cold's anger to her. She didn't respond to his rants and let him go when he decided to quest for Frieza's body, which was reported to have been floating around in space. Tsumetai was glad when he was gone, having been suffocated by his constant presence around her. Cold's own demise had her laughing in glee. She was free of the son-of-a-bitch and didn't have to listen to him nor do anything he said. It was wonderful. She could focus on more pressing matter, like a challenge.

Her power was so great there weren't many people who excited her. However, the prospect of a Saiyan, and a Super Saiyan for that matter, made her body thrill. Just the thought of someone who could kill her 'family' and remained unscathed from it made her excited to know such a creature was out there. _That _was the kind of power she craved, power Cold was unable to provide her with. But a Saiyan…

"E-Empress Tsumetai?"

Tsumetai didn't glance wawy from the screen she was staring at. "Didn't I ask not to be bothered? Why are you here?"

"W-We've found them," the frightened guard said. "We have their location."

"Really?" Tsumetai raised an eyebrow. "It isn't a false alarm like last time, is it?"

"N-no ma'am!" He replied hastily. "We are positive we're locked onto their location. I-it's the same place your late husband-" Tsumetai growled. "And late sons perished. Ee-arth."

"It's pronounced _Earth _you twit," Tsumetai corrected harshly. Honestly, Cold's hired help could be so dense at times! She wasn't particularly fond of many of them, but they proved their usefulness _sometimes._ "However, it was to be expected. Since Cold found out about Frieza's death those years ago, that place was his target. I should have known they would be there."

"Would you like me to set the course for Earth…Madam?" he added as an afterthought.

Tsumetai nodded. "Yes. Set a course for Earth." A Cheshire cat grin spread across her face. "We're going to find some Saiyans…"

End

* * *

Me: That wraps up the Prologue. Chapter 2 is Tsumetai going to Earth, and finding the Saiyans on Earth who took down Frieza, Cooler, and King Cold. Stay tuned for the next installment.


	2. The Cell Games

Ice Cold Love

Me: Chapter 1 of Ice Cold Love is here, and we're switching perspectives to the Saiyans and the Z-Fighters, as this is taking place during the Cell Saga. Most of this chapter will be from Gohan's eyes following his first fight with Cell, because we all know he's a bit less than confident even though Goku tried to console him. This will be Gohan's thoughts _during _his initial fight with Cell leading to Goku's death, so excuse me if I get some of the dialogue wrong; I'm re-watching the series and haven't made it this far. Tsumetai appears at the end of the chapter after Goku's death just so we're clear. So, here we go.

Disclaimer: I can't claim the idea nor any characters, however I can claim a box set of DVD's, some T-Shirts, and the plot.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Cell Games

"I may be giving up, but that doesn't mean that the tournament's over. There's still one more person for you to fight," Goku stated.

Cell looked at him in shock. "You're not serious! Who? One of them?! And exactly which one of these pitiful specimens did you have in mind Goku? Who? Trunks, Piccolo, Vegeta? Please, don't waste my time."

Goku ignored him, kneeling down in front of his son. "It's your turn to fight, Gohan."

'_It's my turn to fight,' _Gohan thought absently, trying not to let fear cloud his mind. But how could he possibly be calm? His father, the strongest man alive, forfeit his own match because Gohan was apparently stronger than him. _'Dad thinks __**I'm **__stronger than him.'_ That one thought constantly flitted around his mind as he took his place across from Cell. _'But…how could I possibly beat Cell? I'm not as strong as my father; he's the strongest one out of all of us. Why did he send me out?' _ Gohan knew Goku had more power than what he put out against Cell; he could literally feel how much his father was trying to hold back, not let loose. Even though his father seemed confident enough, the pep talk lifting his spirits a bit, he was still a bit wary. He saw and felt what Cell could do, and he couldn't possibly hope to match that, less surpass that. Yet his father saw that he could, when he, along with the others, didn't know what was so special, didn't know this supposed power he had claimed Gohan had.

The others were right: something was seriously wrong with his father.

He was never able to be of any use to his friends when battles came up in the past. Against the Saiyans, he was nearly killed by a Saibaman because he was afraid to fight, too afraid to move. Then, he had a chance to hit the big brute Nappa when he was weakened by a barrage from Krillin and Piccolo, but he didn't take it, a mistake that nearly cost him his life. He _still _had to depend on his father to bail him out. He may have gotten some hits on Vegeta, but that was only his Oozaru form, which nearly killed everyone.

On Namek, the two initial soldiers that he and Krillin encountered wasn't a problem for him because he knew he was stronger than them. However, his rage was the only thing that helped him escape getting crushed by Dodoria, using his emotions to fuel his powers. But that didn't always work. He didn't particularly like fighting, though it was in his blood, and absolutely _hated _the fog that overcame him when he did go into a rage. Maybe his Dad was counting on that to help save the world, but Gohan would do everything within his power to stop that from happening.

* * *

"Hey Krillin," Goku said suddenly. "Can I have a senzu bean?"

Krillin jumped, a bit scared, but then smiled at his old time friend and nodded. "Sure Goku," he said, pulling out a small green bean. He knew where Gohan's rage took his power level, and if that's what it took for them to beat Cell, Krillin would stand by his best friend, even if his judgment was a bit ridiculous at times. "Here ya go," he said cheerfully, tossing it to Goku.

"Thanks!" Goku said, catching it with little effort.

What he did next shocked them all.

"Hey Cell!" Goku called, grinning like an idiot. "Catch!" He threw the healing bean to the bio-android. "You're gonna need to be at full strength if you're gonna try and take on my son."

Cell smirked, catching the small bean and staring down at it. "You realize that you have just sealed the fates of everyone on the planet don't you?" He chuckled. "Honestly, I don't see why you and I don't just continue our fight instead of sending in a child to fight me. But," he tossed the bean into his mouth, eating it and feeling his strength return to him. He flexed, arrogantly showing off his power before smirking at Gohan. "If you're so eager to say goodbye to this planet, let the boy fight." He turned to Gohan, getting into a fighting stance. "Let's see what you've got boy."

Krillin looked at Goku in shock and horror. "Okay, it's official! You've completely lost it!"

Goku held up his hands. "Look, Cell's kind of worn out right now. It just wouldn't be fair if Gohan beats him when he isn't at his best, you know."

Yamcha shook his head. "That…that's Cell up there!" He protested. "Who really cares about being fair?!"

Below, Cell chuckled. "Heh heh heh heh heh. What a fool. Doesn't he realize…? The only thing he's managed to do here is ensure his son's demise."

Gohan released he breath he was holding. Maybe he could succeed where his father failed. "Let's go." He powered up, increasing his Ki to a point that rivaled his fathers, and then even surpassed it a little.

Cell smirked. "Well, I'll give you this. You certainly are brave. And loyal too. Not many sons are willing to die fighting their father's battles, you know. Your devotion is most admirable."

They traded blows, tearing up the Earth and sending Hercule and his goons flying. Shockwaves broke out everywhere, the only evidence of where they had been or where they were; the two were moving too fast for anyone to really tell what was going on. Cell quickly launched a series of attacks on Gohan, but he had the speed to back him up, dodging each of the blows and dealing a couple of his own. However, he stuck more to avoiding the bio-android attacks; he had the element of surprise on his side since Cell didn't expect him to be so fast. This carried on for a while, Gohan thinking he'd be able to hold off Cell, but the android became bored with him. "Good fight, kid. But I'm afraid to say, like all good things, it must come to an end." With quick moves Gohan didn't see, Cell launched another barrage at Gohan, then the next instant, Gohan's head was ringing and he felt himself soaring through the air and crashed into a large mountain, the rubble and debris crashing down on him.

Piccolo grit his teeth and growled. Gohan was like a son to him, yet Goku sent him to his death. "Goku, you fool," he hissed. "We told you. But you wouldn't listen to us! Well, maybe you'll hear this. Your son's dead, Goku. He's dead!"

Cell chuckled, then laughed out loud. "You see Goku? The boy is ready for a fight of this caliber. He's done for already." He looked straight at Goku. "You're the only one with enough power to pose a challenge to me. So don't waste any more of my time and get down her and fight me!"

Goku smiled. "I wouldn't count Gohan out so quick Cell," he said to the overconfident droid.

"The boy is finished. He can't go on."

"Oh really?" Goku asked, pointing to the once proud mountain.

Cell decided to humor Goku and look at the destruction, but gaped in shock when Gohan burst from the rubble, dusting himself off. Goku grinned. "See? Don't underestimate him. I told you, he's a lot stronger than I am."

Cell just laughed as Gohan flew over, landing in front of him. "Very well Goku." He got back into a fighting stance. "Well? Ready to continue?"

Gohan sighed. "Cell," he began. "We don't have to do this. Please, stop this meaning less killing. There's no reason for you to do this. It needs to stop now. This fight, Cell…its meaningless."

Cell paused, a little shocked. No one had ever put him on pause before. "What are you blathering about boy?"

"Just stop this." Gohan said. "I don't want to fight you."

"Huh? Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha! HAHAHAHAHA! You sound just like your father! Do you honestly think I'll stop my Cell games just because you think they're meaningless?"

Gohan nodded. "Yes."

Cell scoffed. "Well think again. Let me explain something to you. You have to fight. Unless you beat me here today, I'll destroy the Earth. Now how's that for meaning?"

Gohan clenched his fists. "I'm telling you, I don't wanna fight anymore Cell. Even though you're evil…I really have no desire to kill you."

"And why not?"

Gohan gripped his fist. "I know why my Dad wants me to fight you. I know why I'm the only one who can beat you."

Cell chuckled. "Please. Enlighten me."

"I don't like to fight," Gohan explained. "I never really cared for it. And I wasn't very good at it. I was never there for my friends when they needed me. And only when things got really bad did I ever help them. That's why I'm the only one who can fight you. Krillin, my friend, was sinking to the bottom of a lake, dying. And Frieza, that cold-blooded monster was actually enjoying it. I couldn't control what happened next. I attacked. I didn't care that Frieza was the most powerful fighter in the universe. I didn't care that he had the ability to destroy entire planets with a single finger. All I knew was that I had to help my friend…and the only way to him was through Frieza," he explained to Cell. He remembered the rage he felt, the red he saw, and remembered the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He hated that feeling. "It happened all the time. I lost control of my emotions and my power exploded. I saw red and didn't register what happened until the haze shifted. So you see Cell, that's why I can beat you, but it's also why I can't fight you. I don't want my power to make me rampage. I might hurt someone. So please, stop the tournament." He still had flashes of what he did to Vegeta, when his Oozaru rampaged, and the fear that was covered by rage that induced hiss barrage on Frieza. He could have died both times because he was so reckless. He wouldn't let that happen again.

Cell stared at him a moment longer before he began to snicker. Snickers turned into chuckles, which soon evolved into gales of laughter. "Oh Gohan, it's pitiful for you to think that that little speech you gave me will make me stop my tournament. In fact, it only serves to make me want to keep this going even longer!"

Gohan gasped. "What?!"

"Yes. We'll continue on. Your story only fuled me to see what his hidden power is. Stronger than Goku? I won't believe it until I see it. You see Gohan, this hidden power of yours intrigues me, and now that I know about it, I'm determined to see it for myself!"

"No," Gohan whispered, wanting to fall to his knees. He _didn't _want that exact thing to happen. He wanted to prevent his power from exploding, not provoke it.

He wasn't prepared for the onslaught that came next.

He may have had his speed in the beginning, but Cell surprised him, phasing in front of him and going ballistic. The hits rained down from everywhere, not even giving Gohan a second to come back from it. Pain exploded in his face, chest, and stomach, all stemming from Cell's harsh blows. He was only able to block a couple, not enough to say he even blocked something. The limited number of hits he could say he blocked, he only avoided a few out of those. This was why he didn't want to do this. HE wasn't strong; he never had been.

* * *

Cell had grown tired of playing with the boy quick, but the power limit intrigued him so much, he'd keep the boy around only until he released it, no matter how long it took. All his data pointed to the fact that Goku was the strongest Earth warrior, but now this child claimed he could reach heights past that, words that weren't claimed untrue by Goku himself, and he needed to test his power. Perfection like his shouldn't go to waste! Call it a secret desire, but he really wanted to put his power through his paces (though he knew no matter how much they trained, they were no match for him) and this was the perfect chance.

Gohan screamed. Cell had him in a crushing bear hug, not enough force to break his ribs, but enough to where his bones where grinding against each other and he could feel his insides begin to constrict. _'Dad,' _he thought pitifully, feeling guilt that he was once again calling on his father for help. _'Please, help me!'_

Piccolo had enough. If he was strong enough, he would have gone down there to help Gohan, but he'd get them both killed. Gohan wasn't going to unleash his power, that much was painfully obvious, but it was only obvious to everyone but Goku. The man may have been a genius when it came to training and fighting, but he was being a complete idiot right now. "Gohan may have that power but it doesn't matter. He doesn't thirst for battle and mayhem. He's not a fighter like you!" He watched in sick satisfaction as the stupid contented smile on Goku's face fell, and his eyes widened a bit.

Goku looked down at the battle. Gohan would be alright…right? His son screamed again, head tossed back in a pained scream. Goku clenched his fist. Gohan…he was a fighter…but "Ah?!"

Piccolo was seconds away from grabbing Goku by his neck and screaming in his face. "Do you want to know what he's thinking? He's not thinking about strength or about competition! He's wondering why his father is standing there letting him die! And so your son may be the most powerful person in the world but he's also a scared eleven year old boy. I'd rather die than wait!" He was going to save the boy who wedged his way into his Namekian heart even if it killed him.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, Cell was growing angry. Though he had the boy on the ropes, only sheer stubbornness kept him alive. "Stubborn creature. You refuse to fight back despite all the pain that I inflict on you! Perhaps you'd respond better to the pain of your dear old friends!" _That _got a response out of the boy.

'_No,'_ Gohan thought brokenly. He couldn't let anything happen to his friends! He'd never forgive himself!

Hope came in the most unexpected way.

He was suddenly freed from the deadly bear hug, giving him open opportunity to gasp for sweet air. But who-"16?"

The large red-headed Android trapped Cell in a similar position that Gohan was previously trapped in, his large tree trunk arms constricting his bio-android brother. "Cell!" He shouted. "It's over now. I will destroy you here and now!"

Cell struggled. How could he not break out of the Android's hold now but in his second form, he was able to match the droid?! Even 16 was created with limits that he wasn't _designed _to pass. How was he suddenly able to restrain him. "What are you talking about? Let me go!"

"No! This ends here!" If anything, 16 squeezed tighter. "I know how to defeat you. It is the only way."

"16," Gohan whispered. Why was the large robot protecting them? Wasn't he designed to kill them?

"I have a powerful explosive embedded deep in my body. It was intended to be a last resort. I am sorry that we androids have caused so much suffering here on the Earth. Cell, no matter how strong you have become...you will not survive this explosion!"

"No! Let me go right now you pile of junk!"

Krillin gulped. _'We never told 16 that Bulma took the bomb out of his chest!'_

"Cell, you destroy life. You are a parasite to this planet. And I see now that this is the best way to destroy you. Dr. Gero's sick ambition to terrorize the world through us will ultimately be put to rest...by his own devices." 16 began to power up, charging his last resort weapon with intentions to end his own life and the life of the monster his 'father' created. In the time he was alive, 16 grew to love the planet and he couldn't bear to see it destroyed. His life was only minuscule in compared to what was at stake.

Up with his friends, Krillin had had enough. "_16!" _He screamed at the top of his lungs. _"Wait! You can't destroy Cell! You can't even blow yourself up!"_

"What?!" Yamcha demanded. "What are you talking about?!"

Krillin's statement was enough to make everyone stop in their tracks, even 16 and Cell.

Krillin hung his head. They would have had a chance if the bomb was still there. But without it, and with Gohan's reluctance to fight, they were all doomed. "Y-You can't detonate the bomb 16. When Bulma was repairing you, her and Dr. Briefs came across it and decided to remove it. It won't work."

"What?!" 16 shouted. That was the only way he could destroy Cell. If he couldn't self-destruct then-

Cell smirked, twisting out of 16's hold. "Good effort, but not good enough. Even if your ploy _did _work, I wouldn't have taken much damage form such a weak attack," Cell explained, ignoring the nagging little voice that reminded him of how scared he was at the threat. Truth be told, since the blast would have been at point blank range, there was a possibility that 16 could have killed him.

Spreading his palm and holding it point blank at 16, he fired. An explosion did occur, but it didn't have the effect 16 was counting on. A mechanical shower rained down, spreading parts of 16 here and there, his head clattering to the ground. Cell scoffed. "16. His petty existence proved Dr. Gero had his flaws."

The Z-Fighters all stood stock-still. 16 had offered himself to help them, and now he was gone. There really was no hope left.

Cell brushed himself off. "Now that that's dealt with, back to my previous plan-" he crouched down, yelling as he began to create. It was a bit painful and stressful, but soon, unintelligible cackling floated around the destroyed arena. Cell watched his newborn sons rise up, each one as powerful as he was (Cell is actually asexual, so he literally gave birth and had seven babies at this point.). He was proud of his miniature versions of himself, his Cell Juniors.

"Now, you all can have your fun with them, but not too much fun. You can play with them, but _do not_ kill them, understand?"

A chorus of responses and cackles met his ears, making his smirk widen. "Excellent. Now, attack my Cell Juniors!"

Gohan watched in horror as the mini Cells, dubbed Cell Jrs., attacked his friends, mercilessly fighting. Vegeta and Trunks ascended, intending on taking them on in the more powerful form, but Gohan knew deep down it wouldn't have been enough. Cell was truly unstoppable, and his Cell Juniors would tear his friends to pieces. Piccolo and Tien were already in trouble, Krillin was having trouble holding his off, Yamcha was getting beat, and even his father wasn't doing too good. Vegeta and Trunks would be okay, but for how long? He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. He couldn't let this happen!

Cell noticed Gohan's tensed form and felt the small rise in power, but it wasn't enough. Didn't the boy say a friend of his was in trouble and he exploded? Why wasn't he reacting this time?!

Cell had enough. Either the boy's power would reveal itself, or he'd kill his friends. Besides, his sons were enjoying themselves way too much and he wanted results "Hey! Hurry up now! First one with a kill wins a prize!" Nothing like a little encouragement to get some bloodshed going.

* * *

16 had to do something. He knew Gohan was strong, but it wasn't making itself known. He had to help. Turning to the coward called Hercule, 16 looked up. "You say that you are the champion, do you not?"

Hercule promptly screamed, backing away a few steps. "Heads aren't supposed to talk!"

16 wanted to roll his eyes, but he had no time for nonsense. "If you really want to help the planet, I need you to get me to the boy."

Hercule's eyes widened in fear. Go near the freakish android? Count him out.

16 smiled. What a coward. "You do not have to run me over there. Just throw me far enough to where I can speak to the boy. Please, it'll help save the planet."

Hercule clenched his teeth and quickly reached down, suppressing a gag as he lifted the head. "Fine!" He shouted, throwing the head with as much strength as he could muster. 16 was pleased when he landed right where he needed to be, beside Gohan. "Gohan," he said quietly. "Gohan... let it go. It is not a sin to fight for the right cause. There are those who words alone will not reach. Cell is such a being. I know how you feel, Gohan. You are gentle, you do not like to hurt. I know because I too have learned these feelings, but it is because you cherish life that you must protect it..."

Cell, having seen the thrown and heard 16, groaned. "Uh. This sentimental downpour is killing me. It's so nice of you to help, 16. But I plan on doing this my way." His way was working just fine, he didn't need the decapitated android to try and lend a helping hand. He'd get his way, he always did. He achieved his perfect form, didn't he? 16's speech was almost touching, and the advice was borderline tear inducing, but Cell had better things to do than listen to another speech.

16 ignored Cell, focusing on the boy. He would be able to do it, to save the planet and defeat Cell. "Please, drop your restraints. Protect the life I loved. You have the strength. My scanner sensed it. Just... let it go..."

Whatever else the gentle giant was going to say was cut off, and would be lost forever. Cell, having had enough, did a amazing leap and brought his foot down, crushing 16 beneath his foot and silencing him once and for all. "Yet another fighter...you_ could_ have saved."

Gohan sat back in shock and some horror. "16, you loved life. You gave everything up to save it. And you were just an Android. I let you die...I can't do that...I won't watch anymore. I...I feel it slipping. And I won't watch this anymore!"

He snapped.

Cell watched with mild amusement. The boy was just powering up? That was it? "You are making the same mistake Trunks did, boy. Don't think you can beat me just by powering up." He would have chuckled, but he sensed something that made him freeze. There was an enormously large power level heading to the planet and though he loath to admit it, it was…higher than his own. And even worse for him, Gohan had finished powering up, and he had transformed.

"I won't forgive you for what you've done," Gohan whispered, thoroughly enraged.

* * *

~Tsumetai's Ship~

Tsumetai was impatient as her servants went about the landing procedure, yelling at each other to make haste to land on Earth, arguing over the Earth's gravity and oxygen, and all trying to kiss up to her and make her happy. She would be happier if they could just land! She felt such high power coming from the planet and she was excited to find out just who they were and that power. It made her lick her lips in anticipation. _That _was the kind of power she deserved.

"ENOUGH!" She shouted over all of the commotion.

Instantly, all the employees fell silent.

"You will proceed with the landing as we normally do, but you will land us as close as you can possibly get to the power levels the on-board detector picked up and I will hear no complaints, do I make myself clear?"

Numerous nods met her eyes.

"Excellent. No more of the needless squabbling."

"But my liege-"

With a small flick of her fingers, the man who spoke out was nothing more than a pile of smoldering ashes. "I thought I had made myself clear," she hissed.

There was scattered mumbling and quiet murmurs of fear among the people who were on board, all fearing of Tsumetai. Cold had been a terror, but Tsumetai was much worse, especially when she was I a bad move. One could merely walk in a way that wasn't pleasing to her and she'd kill them. _That's _how bad she was.

Satisfied that everything was going according to plan, Tsumetai took a dainty sip of her wine and smirked. The planet was in sight, and the powers were located. Everything was going in her favor.

* * *

~Cell Games~

Vegeta was pissed. He couldn't believe it. "We had so much trouble dealing with those things, yet this child defeats them with one blow!" And that power…he wanted to scream in frustration. No matter what he did, he was never able to reach the potential he knew he was capable of, yet a child of only eleven had surpassed him and dwarfed him. Truly there was just no justice for the Prince. He watched as Gohan sliced the last Cell Junior in half, all without breaking a sweat. "No! This is maddening! It's bad enough that Kakarot has surpassed me in power, but now his son has too!?" He was an elite of crying out loud! The boy went past ascending and soared the greater heights than Vegeta thought possible. If he could barely catch up to Kakarot, how was he supposed to reach his son?

Cell was impressed, but just barely. "Don't get too confident, for I have yet to show you young warrior what I'm truly capable of. But you will see soon enough."

Gohan finally turned to the bio-android and narrowed his eyes. "Can it," he growled curtly.

Cell gaped, though he quickly regained his composure and tensed back into a fighting stance. "Huh!? Ah, a cheeky one. Well then, let's see how you fare against me when I fight at full strength!" The boy had seen him when he was at full strength, and Cell would be the one laughing and confident. Tensing, he finally released the full extent of his power, tearing up the ground and throwing some people back. He didn't care whether or not he did major damage to the Earth; it wouldn't be around much longer for him to care.

Finally, he reached his absolute maximum and smirked at Gohan. "So kid, are you impressed by what you see?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side a bit. That was it? "Is that all you've got?"

Cell's smirk faded and he clenched his feet, getting deeper into his stance. "Let's see you handle this!"

He charged, ready to pummel the boy. Gohan didn't move, only let Cell approach, and it began. The battle was even quicker than the last one, except much faster. Again, Cell was on the offensive, letting loose attack after attack, but Gohan proved even faster as he dodged each and every one of them. Cell tried to hit, tried to kick, but they were all evaded, and it looked like the boy wasn't even trying. Growling, Cell tried to blast him, but he knocked it away and dodged the next few hits Cell delivered. Gohan, getting bored, aimed a left hook at Cell's exposed abdomen, so quick the bio-android wasn't able to dodge it. He took a moment to gasp in air, giving Gohan all opportunity to aim another strike, this one knocking Cell to the ground.

Cell choked, gasping for air. It wasn't possible! The boy wasn't this good a while ago, why was he so powerful now?! He couldn't have that much power at his disposal, could he? "He only...had two punches that made contact...so why am I so...so damaged?"

He charged at Gohan again, trying another clash, but this time, he was on the defensive, and losing badly. Where he might not have been so rash, Gohan was merciless, not giving him a chance to hit back. Two hits left him gasping for air, and the barrage left him with broken appendages and pained in places he wasn't even sure got hit.

"I will not be humiliated by a child! This has gone far enough! I am TIRED of playing these games! Grrr..." He looked at the ground beneath him, watching his blood begin to pool below him. "This can't be happening. I am complete. It is impossible for a Saiyan child to defeat me! I am the ultimate fighter. I have no equal. Yet, somehow this one is different. Very well, if I must prove myself once again then so be it but this will be the last time. Grr..."

Gohan slowly walked over to the fallen droid. Was that all the fight he had in him?

Cell looked up and saw Gohan approaching him, taking his sweet time. For once, Cell actually feared for his life. This could be the last thing he ever saw: an enraged child defeating him.

"What are you so afraid of Cell? Isn't this what you wanted? I warned you! I told you what would happen if you pushed me too far! But you didn't listen! You forced me to awaken my hidden power! And now that you've seen it, you're afraid...because you know that I'm going to destroy you!" Cell got what he wanted; his power exploded and he was rampaging. Cell got the fighter he wanted and more, and now it was all over. Powering up some, Gohan attacked Cell again, but this time, he wanted to drag it out. He wanted Cell to fear a bit of the fear countless others felt, feel the pain warriors fallen and weakened felt, and most of all, wanted to hear him plea for mercy like so many innocents hand done.

Cell groaned, standing up on shaky legs. "No! He's a boy! There's no way that little brat can be so strong!"

Goku was beginning to get nervous. Gohan was a different person, more ruthless than Vegeta. And he was toying with Cell, not actually doing anything to take the monster down! They needed to end thigs, and end them now! "Gohan! You've got to take Cell down now before he can regenerate!" Hopefully, he could reach his son before he was too deep in his power he got cocky.

Gohan raised an eyebrow, turning his head a bit to look at his father. The man wanted this to happen in the first place, but now that it did, he wanted his fun to end? That's right, fun. Gohan was having fun torturing Cell, and he wanted to drag it out as long as he could. "Take him down now? No, I think I'll wait. I'm going to let him suffer for a little while."

After a knee to his face, Cell coughed up blood while trying to get away from Gohan. The end of his life was near. "Ugh! You're not a boy...you're a monster!"

Gohan smirked, kicking Cell in the stomach. After the blow to his face, Cell was already choking on blood, but the blow to his stomach forced more blood up his throat and out his mouth. But that wasn't it. Something else was coming up. "What have you done to me!?"

Bile rose in his throat. He gagged, mouth overflowing with a bad taste. He fell to the ground, back arched as he gagged and coughed, the thing in his throat rising up further and further until he could taste the foreign object on his tongue. Heaving, he finally retched, lips stretching past their limits as he finally spewed out the object: Android 18.

Lights flashed, and suddenly, Cell felt his power dropping, his body changing, until he painfully reverted back to his second form.

"18!" Krillin shouted. "Cell spit out Android 18!"

"N-no," Cell mumbled, bending down. He had to eat her again(no pun intended) if he wanted to stay alive and try to beat the kid.

Gohan scoffed. "I don't believe this. You're groveling around trying to absorb that Android again so you can become perfect, but it's futile. I have more than enough power to take you out." Quick as a flash, Gohan knocked Cell way from 18, making a large grotesque dent in the bio-droids gut.

"Stay away from me, you monster!" Cell screamed as Gohan stalked closer. This was it. His end was here.

Gohan chuckled darkly. "You finally know when you're beat eh? It's actually pitiful when you think about it. Pleading for your life. I should end you here and now and save someone else the trouble. Besides, your starting to bore me. I'm not sure I should waste my time killing you."

Cell looked up in shock. The boy…was bored with him?! He didn't want to waste time with him?! Cell growled. "I'll show him," he growled, standing up.

Gohan smirked. "Still got some fight left in you?"

Cell chuckled darkly. "Boy, this is the end for you! You thought you could beat me, but you can't! Ha ha ha! I'm going to blow myself up now! And I'm going to take you with me! Say goodbye to your precious planet!" He never thought he'd have to use something like his self-destruction to end things, but he'd rather die than be humiliated by a mere child. His body began to expand, filling with the power he needed

"Didn't I say not to waste my time?" Gohan asked, irritated. He clenched his fist, ready to end things, but Cell's next words halted him.

"Watch out! You might make me explode! You don't wanna make me upset! One little shock could set me off! Then it's bye bye Gohan...buh-bye Goku and so long Earth!"

Gohan fell to his knees, powering down. His father was right. He should have ended Cell when he had the chance. And now…he doomed everyone.

* * *

"Oh man," Krillin mumbled. "Things aren't looking good. What do we do Goku?" He looked at his best friend, who had a blank look on his face. "Goku?"

Then, Goku smiled. Krillin hated that smile. He saw it so much over the years he knew exactly what it meant and it never ended well. "Goku?" He tried again.

"Goodbye my friends," Goku whispered.

Back on the battlefield, Gohan could only stand helpless as Cell grew larger, body building with so much explosive power it was borderline suffocating. HE had really failed everyone.

Cell cackled, ready to get rid of the boy, Goku, and this miserable planet. "Ten more seconds and the Earth will be gone. I guess we'll call this game a draw!"

Cell didn't count on Goku, who used his Instant Transmission to teleport in front of him. With a trademark smile, he couldn't have been more proud of his son. "Hey, you put up a good fight, Gohan. I'm proud of you," he praised.

Gohan looked up, eyes wide with horror and shock. "What? Daddy?"

"Take care of your mother for me. She needs you. Tell her that I had to do this, Gohan."

"Ah!" He didn't mean-

Goku placed a hand on Cell and two fingers to his forehead. "Goodbye, my son."

Piccolo could only watch, helpless. "Goku!" That idiot!

Cell wanted to move, wanted to flee so he could destroy himself in peace, but to no avail. All his work, for nothing. "No! Don't!"

Tears welled up in Gohan's eyes. "No! Come back!"

* * *

~Tsumetai~

"Finally," Tsumetai whispered, a bit miffed. There was a problem with the landing gear the technician hadn't checked, therefor delaying their initial landing and pissing her off. How could they overlook something as simple as a couple of gears out of place? Honestly, once she got settled all her matters on the planet, she was going to kill all of her henchman and be done with them.

Feeling out, she stretched out her senses, in order to look for the highest power level in the area. After a couple seconds, she was delighted to find out that they had landed tremendously close to where the computer first picked up the power levels. Whoever they belonged to were nearby, and she was going to find them.

Without another word, Tsumetai took off as fast as she could.

* * *

~Cell Games~

The wind was strong, strong enough to almost knock them off of their feet. Then, a power so tremendous made them all freeze. No, it couldn't be!

A single death beam pierced through the air, cutting through the smoke and impaling future Trunks, killing him on impact. Vegeta watched, frozen. His only son, dead before his very eyes. ' He, along with the other Z-Fighters, slowly looks over to see none other than Cell, still in his perfect form. The shock on their faces must have shown, because Cell laughed, waving away some of the smoke.

"This," Cell stated. "Is the Ultimate Perfection."

"How are you-" Piccolo growled.

"It's simple really." He tapped his temple. "Inside my skull, there's a nucleus embedded in my brain that is the key to my regenerative abilities. As long as it remains unharmed, I can regenerate my body from that one single Cell. After Goku transported me away from the planet, I exploded as expected. However, my core remained, and I was able to regenerate. Not only that, but I seemed to have picked up some Goku's cells, including his Instant Transmission technique. And, some more of his Saiyan cells. Now," he flexed. "I'm better than ever."

Gohan, who was kneeling on the ground, stood, transforming back into Super Saiyan 2. "Y'know. This is the opposite of a bad thing. In fact, this is actually a good thing. Before, I was torn up about what happened to my father, but now, I can avenge him." He smirked. "One thing I learned from my father is to never give up, even when the odds are stacked against you."

Vegeta grit his teeth in anger. _'How could I let this happen to my son? He has sacrificed everything for me! And I have done nothing but ignore him! No! I won't give up on him! There is still time to change things! Cell has crossed me for the last time! He has tricked me in battle, mocked my Saiyan ancestry, but this...this time he's gone too far...he will pay the ultimate price...for what he has done to my son!' _Growling, he transformed as well, his shock quickly turning into anger.

Piccolo, sensing Vegeta's anger, knew nothing good can come from this. "Vegeta wait," he said. "Don't do anything rash. Remember, we can always revive Trunks with the Dragon Balls. You don't need to rush into this recklessly."

However, he knew in the back of his mind that Vegeta wouldn't listen.

With a yell, Vegeta went berserk, attacking Super Perfect Cell with everything he had. Seeing Trunks' dead body in his mind, that one image fueled him, the thought of his only son dead killing him inside. In a mad fury, he attacked Cell with an array of energy blasts, kicking up dust ad earth. Panting, he lowered his arms. "At last...it's over."

"Wrong. It's over when I say it's over!" Vegeta didn't even see the blow coming. One minute, the dust in the air concealed Cell's body, and the next, a quick jab to his mid-section, and pain exploded in his gut, forcing blood out his mouth. "And now," Cell charged a Ki blast, aiming it at Vegeta. "You die." He was about to launch it, but something made him freeze in his tracks. The power from before was upon them! "What the-"

The ground cracked and split beneath the figure as he or she landed. The sheer aura this person had was enough to knock everyone over. And the power output this person was showing…

Cell might have been bad, but this new person was on the way to becoming their worst nightmare.

* * *

Me: And we are done! The Cell Games are coming to a close, but with a twist! What will this mean for the Z-Fighters? Is this new person a friend or foe? Ally or enemy? You'll have to find out in the next chapter of Ice Cold Love!


	3. Empress Tsumetai

Ice Cold Love

Me: Now, I've gotten some PMs and reviews about this story, so let me make it clear right now: **Tsumetai is **_**not **_**the same race as King Cold, Cooler and Frieza. While the Cold Family, minus Tsumetai, are Ice-jiin, Tsumetai is an Arcorsian, a name that was made up for her race. Arcorsian was a name I had once come across that was supposedly Frieza's true race name, and though it does in fact ring true, I have decided to change the name of Frieza's race. However, it will be the name of Tsumetai's race.**

I'm sorry that that wasn't clear in chapters 1 and 2, but I'll include it now so no one will be confused anymore. Anyways, chapter 3 is here, and Tsumetai has just stopped Cell from attacking Gohan (the part in the Saga when Cell makes Gohan's arm useless when Gohan takes a blow made for Vegeta) and has arrived on the planet. What will this mean for the Z-Fighters?

So, I know it's probably been a while, but things happened and school doesn't want to give me any time for any writing, so thank you so much school for doing this to me and making me readers wait so long. You're always there to disappoint me when I need it.

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! DON'T SUE ME!

* * *

Chapter 3: Empress Tsumetai

**Frieza!**

At first glance, it looked this new warrior, the new _female _warrior was Frieza, only darker in color and much stronger than they could imagine. Cell's power level in itself was a terrifying sight to behold, but this woman's power put him to such shame. It was horrendous. It did more than dwarf Cell's power; Cell would be like an ant, and this woman would be a whale in terms of the distance between their power levels. If she proved to be an ally (which they were severely hoping for since she blocked a hit made for Gohan) then they would be relieved. However, if she was their next enemy, they were all doomed. Goku had a problem dealing with Cell, and Gohan's rage breaking pushed him over the edge, enough for him to fight Cell. But there was subtle doubt that no amount of Gohan's rage breaking would help.

She looked almost exactly like Frieza, just much more feminine. Her skin was a dark red color, a beautiful shade of crimson, much different than the sickly pale tone that Frieza had. Her bio gems, though significantly smaller, were the color of the blackest night, almost as black as the void of space. She wore a tight-fitting spandex suit with the same clothing Goku wore after he came back from Yardrat, but this woman's clothing fit a bit more snugly and even _looked _more menacing, though it greatly emphasized her…growth in certain places they knew Frieza didn't (and shouldn't have)had .

Tsumetai slowly rose to her feet, surveying the area around her. She was surrounded by warriors, some strange looking in ridiculously bright outfits, one was the dear Prince Vegeta (Tsumetai laughed at this one. Her late son had always complained about Vegeta and how he would kill him one day, but it would seem as though things changed. Rather, _Vegeta _had been the one to kill Frieza), some alien looking in physical mannerisms, a mere child, and a giant bug. The only thing she was really paying attention to was the power levels. How else was she supposed to find her prize? Some levels were laughable, hardly worth her time or her consideration. The Prince was excluding some impressive power, but it wasn't what she had come for. It wasn't enough. The bug's power was impressive, though it wasn't something Tsumetai should have been scared of; it was good, just not _that _good. She was looking for the one she felt on her ship, the one that made her shiver in delight when she had first sampled a taste of the power excluded.

And then she felt it. There was something here, something deliciously wonderful…and it was coming from the boy!

Now, Tsumetai knew that sometimes, Saiyan spawns could achieve powers that were greater than that of their parents, hybrids even more so. So she wasn't too surprised to find out that fact; with many of the great races, half-breeds, that one-in-a-million child, and hybrids were much stronger than original purebloods. In fact, she could tell that Vegeta, even from a young age, would surpass his father and mother. And it showed here; how else could Vegeta have not only become a warrior from legend? It also seemed that Vegeta had surpassed the limits of which the legend spoke of. And Vegeta wasn't even a hybrid (the term meant by Saiyan blood being tainted by the blood of another race)! He was pureblood Saiyan through and through!

But the child…Tsumetai didn't remember this child, though he bore a striking resemblance to that one Saiyan that had survived destruction long ago…his name might have been Raditz, or it may not have been. For now, she would just assume that it was. But Tsumetai didn't remember Raditz ever even having a mate or lover, so it was almost impossible for it to have been his. And the child's skin was far too pale to be the spawn of Turles…though he did bear a striking resemblance to the latter; he could have gotten his skin tone from his mother though, and his overall physical resemblance to his father. Then there was Nappa but…no. Tsumetai personally knew the brute from meetings he had with Cold, and the Neanderthal was utterly appalling. Rude, sarcastic, egotistical, manner-lacking, sexist, a pig…ugh, just thinking about the bald ogre made her insides crawl something fierce. Whatever woman decided to sleep with Nappa, they couldn't have produced the child in front of her. The woman would have to have been as ugly and appalling as Nappa to even think about mating with him, and this child was far too handsome to be in any way shape or form a combination of _anyone _and Nappa. That idiot Bardock wasn't around anymore, and the child was much too young to be his, though there were some similarities there…If Bardock was alive, her youngest son had to be the biggest idiot and failure the galaxy had ever known. And she would have been the one to have given birth to said idiot.

Ugh, sometimes she really hated being so beautiful. Maybe if she had been a little plain and not as eye-catching, her family history wouldn't have been so pathetic. Her husband a failure, both her sons failures, and she had been in relations with said failures. Now that she thought about it, she should have tried harder to mate with Vegeta. At least Saiyans were resilient, strong, some were cunning and could survive a decently long time. She wouldn't have minded giving birth to a half-Saiyan hybrid.

Now, Bardock did have two sons, one of which was rumored to have been the one to kill Frieza, but she didn't know what he looked like. The other had been killed many years ago, so there was a possibility that he was the father, but the child looked far too old to have been this man's child, so she was left with Bardock's other son, the one who she also knew little about. There were many Saiyans out there, and she knew someone must have been the father of the hybrid spawn. There were many she could name off the top of her head. But, process of elimination left Vegeta and this unnamed Saiyan, and since she knew Vegeta wasn't one for attachments, she could only assume that the Saiyan whose name of which she didn't know fathered the child with so much hidden _potential._

Tsumetai would love the chance to mold him to her liking, but that would have to wait. There was a pest problem that needed to be taken care of before she could do anything of the sort.

* * *

Who in the HFIL was _she_?

Cell had just been about to seal the deal and end it all, when this unknown female decided that she could just waltz right in and interrupt everything. Was she another one of Goku's friends? Though his memory logs calculated a 92% chance that this was Frieza, so therefore actually a foe of Goku and co., the 8% chance that this wasn't in fact Frieza was slowly gaining more percentage: 25% was added to the 8 simply because Frieza was a male, and this was clearly a female. So now, there was a 33% chance that this wasn't Frieza. Plus, because of the obvious feminism and overall physical differences, now there was a 12% chance that this woman was Frieza. The other 88% went to the fact that her physical appearance had things that Frieza had _obviously _lacked (Cell would have been far too disgusted if Frieza actually did have those parts. It would mean that the former terror was either very androgynous or very masculine and a very ugly female).

Sometimes, Cell hated how his brain was wired. Constant calculation and memories that didn't belong to him, battle strategies and moves, and most of all: vendetta, vendetta, and furthermore vendetta. Honestly, did Dr. Gero not have any other hobbies than bio-engineering and experiments on humans and human to mechanical conversions? Kami, if the good doctor was alive when Cell came back from the future, the man would have been dead many times over for filling his head with such nonsense. Who had time to make constant calculations in the middle of a battle?

"Hey!" Cell shouted, dropping his stance. "Who do you think you are interrupting my tournament like that?!"

The woman turned to him, and without blinking, she gave him a wicked smirk and turned back to the other worms, as if he wasn't important! How dare she ignore perfection!

"I'm talking to you miss!"

Tsumetai turned, raising an eyebrow at the creature. Why was this pest talking to her? And tournament? There was just a demolished wasteland around her, corpses here and there, and an obviously torn up battlefield with no stage or anything. There was blood some places, and remains beginning to rot, but nothing like the traditional tournaments she had witnessed before that Cold insisted she watch. Was this how Earth tournaments commenced? If so, it seemed like it was very entertaining, much better than the ones Cold would drag her to…

Cell visibly bristled, beginning to get angry. He had things to do, worms to kill, planets to destroy, and worlds to conquer, and he couldn't do that when some unknown female decides that she wants to tramp around while he was in the middle of ending things!

"That's the last straw! Either you leave now or I'll force you to leave!"

Finally, she turned to face him and smirked. "You?" She said in a melodious voice. "You'll force me to leave?" She chuckled darkly. "That's cute," she cooed mockingly.

Cell growled. "If that's the way things are gonna be, I'll _force _you out of here and show you how _cute _it'll really be!"

He charged, fist drawn back to strike. Chivalry was long since dead, and if this woman thought he'd be lenient since she was a female that she would be spared from harm from being of the ladylike gender, she had another thing coming.

Cell let his fist fly…

Only for it to be met with a dainty finger.

Tsumetai raised an eyebrow. "_That _was supposed to force me off your battlefield? Pathetic. You'll have to do better than that if you wanna _force _me to leave."

Now, Cell would admit that he didn't put that much power behind the blow, but it should have been enough to end her. Just the fact that she brushed it off made him uneasy, but then again, she was related to Frieza. Of course he'd had to use more strength against her.

Charging more power into his hands and feet, Cell let a barrage of attacks fly, getting angrier by the second each time it was met with the same finger. And the woman didn't even look like she was phased! She looked…bored. Like she was just swatting away a fly.

Growling, Cell charged energy into his palm and thrust out his hand. At point blank range, some damage should have been suffered. But, the woman just brushed off her clothes, frowning. "You're just serving to annoy me," she muttered. "And ruining my clothes. Refrain from doing that again, else I will kill you."

Cell could only gape in shock. T-That was some serious power he was putting out, and she didn't even flinch! "There's no way," he whispered in shock.

"Hmm?" Tsumetai hummed in response. "What was that?"

"It's impossible! Frieza had no such power as you have! I am perfection! How could you possibly deflect my blows, block my attacks, and remain unfazed! Even Goku and his worms couldn't take my hits! What makes you special?!"

Tsumetai rolled her eyes. Big bad bug couldn't land a hit and was throwing a temper tantrum over it. It was pathetic. If he was such perfection, why was he slowly losing his mind because he didn't get his way?

"Not every child," Tsumetai began. "Inherits everything their parents know. I may have taught Frieza most everything he knows, but that doesn't mean I taught him everything I know."

Cell looked up, eyes wild in his hysteria. "W-What?"

"As I said," Tsumetai said. "Not every child will inherit everything the parent has. Frieza may have been my son, but he took more after his disgusting weakling of a father. He and Cooler did the same. If Frieza had really taken after me, exactly after me, then I wouldn't be here would I? The earth still standing, these 'worms' still being alive, your creation; none of this would have come to pass had Frieza taken after me. But I'm afraid it just wasn't in his genetics. No, apparently, the male bloodline rules, and Frieza unfortunately only got some of my looks. Everything else was his father's doing."

* * *

Vegeta wanted to get onto one knee and bow to the empress. It was against his Saiyan pride, but upon meeting Tsumetai, he knew who truly ruled the PTO in the wings while Cold philandered around. He had met Tsumetai on many occasions, almost falling into bed with her on those occasions, but his pride and common sense wouldn't let him. And Tsumetai was married! Cold would have killed him many times over if he had found out that he had slept with his wife! Yet, Tsumetai persisted, saying it would be a thorn to both Frieza, Cooler and Cold, and though Vegeta liked the idea of getting revenge on that family in a much more personal way, he wouldn't have lived long enough to see this very day. It got harder and harder to resist Tsumetai each time, but he had somehow managed though he left Tsumetai disappointed each time. He had honestly hated himself each time he walked away, but he did want to live to become a Super Saiyan and surpass Frieza. Sleeping with his mother would have halted that plan in its tracks.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, there was always a small part of him that said to do it. The part that wasn't ruled by his pride, the small part the made him eager to obey, told him to let Tsumetai had her way with him. Maybe Tsumetai had a strange power, or maybe that was just because her power had that efficacy on her servants: the only thing you would be able to was obey her every command. Maybe his pride overruled that part of his mind and maybe his common sense was telling him it was a bad idea, but he knew that to this day, he was glad he had declined Tsumetai's offers.

* * *

It was no use. No use at all.

He pushed himself, trained as hard as he could, gotten much stronger than he thought was possible, only for it all to come crashing down. Cell came back, after killing his father, and came back with new skills and more powerful than ever. And just when he thought he could end things, against all odds he could do something to make his father proud, yet someone new arrives on the scene, someone who seems to be an ally (though they could be an enemy once Cell was dealt with) and Gohan knew he was worlds away from the power this woman had. The worse part was that she was the mother of Frieza, so any chance of her being an ally was slim. What mother would want to befriend the murderers of both her children and her husband?

If she was here for revenge, they were all in deep trouble.

* * *

Cell had been staring at Tsumetai, trying to work things out. Now he found that this was Frieza's mother, who had not passed on her power to him, just her looks. That meant that if she was more powerful than Frieza, all he'd have to do would be absorb some of her cells and he'd be impossible to beat. It was foolproof.

With a quick move, he smirked as the tip of his tail impaled the flesh of Tsumetai's forearm, sinking in deep. "I've got you now!" And he began to drink.

Tsumetai watched in mild amusement as the needle-like appendage stuck itself into her arm. The thing started to suck her blood out of her, and she was almost about to laugh at the shocked look on Cell's face as he drew in nothing but air. "B-But-," he stuttered.

Tsumetai smirked, taking a firm grip on the appendage and yanking it out of her arm. "Did you really think that would work?" She showed him the appendage, and Cell was shocked to see the needle of his tail still in Tsumetai's arm. "You see," she explained. "You couldn't drink from me simply because the needle was broken, stuck in my skin; I can harden my blood at will if I need to. You only drew in air because the remaining length of your tail had involuntarily completed the action it was assigned to do." She squeezed the tail in her hand. "It was a worthless effort to try. Now you've pissed me off." Gripping it with her other hand, she yanked on the tail and began to spin, taking the creature with her. Cell screamed as he was violently whipped around. Tsumetai smirked, letting go of the tail and sending him flying. Cell panicked for a minute, having trouble righting himself, and Tsumetai let loose a blast of purple energy. It engulfed the bio-android and exploded in a flash of light.

When the smoke cleared, Cell looked worse for wear. His skin was peeling here and there, he was bleeding from a large gash in his chest, he was missing most of his body, save for his left shoulder and part of his left torso, and side of his face was missing.

"Is that it? I thought that would have killed you," Tsumetai commented, watching Cell struggle to breathe. "I mean, I guess I did enough damage to where you won't be able to cause me any more trouble."

"I-I-Is that…wh-what you th-th-think?" Cell grunted out through the pain. The missing mouth made his jaw flap around with every word, sending a small shower of blood every time he formed a syllable. "Y-You obviously don-" He spit out a chunk of blood. "Don't know me," he finished. Closing his eyes, he grunted as his body began to regenerate, his nerves reforming, muscles connecting, and skin pulling over his flesh. He could feel his jaw connecting, which was good since talking felt weird considering he didn't have that part of his mouth. The rest of his body slowly began to take shape, pulling itself together until he was finally fully formed again.

'_I'm back to my original power level before I reformed after I blew myself up,' _Cell thought. _'I could try that again since Goku's gone and no one knows the Instant Transmission. I'll just reform myself again and take over the world. Not even that female would be able to stop me! But then again, that would be a little too much work…I've got it! I'll just use one of Frieza's moves to take out the planet!'_

Smirking, Cell lifted a finger, gathering energy at the tip. A small ball of energy, no bigger than a ping-pong ball, sat on his finger, steadily growing until it was the size of a baseball, than a basketball. Soon, it was almost as big as a small car. And it continued to grow from there, emitting a devastatingly harsh light.

Gohan growled, about to flash back up to Super Saiyan 2 when the female put a hand on his chest. "Do not worry yourself with this pest boy. I will handle him instead."

Gohan froze. This woman was touching his chest and the sensation was pretty weird. Her hand felt cold to the touch, but it was oddly warm and it…tingled a bit; he felt an odd feeling in his chest, and his heart was pounding. He wanted to say it felt nice but there was a peculiar feeling along with it. Who was the woman and why was she helping them? Did she not hold any anger towards them for being the ones responsible for her family's death? Or did she simply not care?

"Are you not original?" Tsumetai called up to Cell. "Using my son's move to try and finish off this place instead of one of your own? Frieza was the one to do that."

"Frieza may have done this before, so tell him thank you for the idea for me when you see him in Otherworld!"

By now, the supernova attack was enormous. Cell pointed his finger at his foes and let his attack fly. Tsumetai watched this with a raised eyebrow, slowly flying up to the approaching attack. Holding out her hand, the attack began to condense and slowly shrunk as Tsumetai absorbed it into her palm. Honestly, she taught Frieza the move and his energy signature was close enough to her own. Just like when Frieza was a toddler, Tsumetai had simply always been able to absorb his energy attacks. She didn't really understand it, but she did find it pretty amusing the way Frieza would scrunch up his nose, cross his arms stomp his foot, and pout like the petulant child he was whenever Tsumetai decided to take his attack from him. It was one of the only times her disappointment of a son ever put a smile on her face.

She sighed, shaking off her hand. "And it wasn't even as strong as Frieza's was. You're getting sloppier bug. You can try again. I'll consider dropping my guard for you," she sang teasingly.

Cell growled. "Don't mock me! I am perfection!"

"You are annoying," Tsumetai muttered. "How perfect can you be when I've previously destroyed most of your body and you've barely landed a hit on me?"

"You were lucky," Cell hissed. "It was all luck, nothing more! I scarcely believe that you're stronger than Frieza! You're nothing more than a common female who thinks she's so amazing just because she blocked a few hits! You are nothing compared to me!"

Cell was getting desperate. He was in denial. That was the only reason he was so insistent on the fact that he could still win. Anyone could see that. He didn't want to admit to the fact that there was another warrior out there who could have possibly be on par with him, and much more powerful. Maybe it was becoming insanity, maybe Cell was suffering from stages of denial, or maybe Tsumetai knocked something loose, but Cell was on the verge of a breakdown, and if he resorted to blowing himself up over losing his perfect form, who knew what he would do when he was having a nervous breakdown?

"Listen bug, I'll say this in the simplest terms I can: give up now and I'll make your death quick. Disobey me, and I'll prolong your death; it'll be as painful as I could possibly make it."

"I'm not going down without a fight!" Cell shot back. "I will defeat you, get rid of the worms, and destroy this planet all in one fell swoop!"

Tsumetai got into a fighting stance. "Just try it."

With a roar and a burst of power, Cell charged towards Tsumetai.

* * *

Me: I know, shorter than what you guys want, but I'm not really sure what to make of this chapter. I-I do like it, but I also don't like it. You guys tell me what you think about it. If it sucks, please be nice when you do tell me. I won't cry.

Vegeta: Yes she will

Me: *sighs* Anyways, so yeah. Read and review, and sorry if it's a bit sucky. Next chapter will be a bit more exciting, there's gonna be a fight! See you next time!


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